NOTE: The Heritage Discovery Center library (HDC) is ONLY open to BIGS members! It has not formally been open to the public but we want our members to have access to our genealogical resources. Call 716 662-1164 for info

If anyone would like to volunteer at either of the libraries, even if it is for one or two months out of the year, please let me know dmshine@aol.com. We can set up a time to have a quick class on what to do at the libraries and how to be of assistance to those coming to us for help. The HDC library is only open to our members, so they pretty much know what they are looking for already. Some will not, and we can assist them accordingly. Hopefully general classes will be scheduled for starter/refresher classes that will help all our members.

Research Opportunity Days are held to discuss your specific
research problems. Please share what area of your research you are
stuck on and see whether members can network to give you new avenues to
follow. If you have no problem areas with your research, then please
come to help solve other's problems. That's what we do...help each other. There is no business meeting held and no minutes taken on these dates - just research done.

* Membership Application -
To Print off a Membership Application for BIGS in Adobe PDF format click here or for Word Document format
click here. and mail it to BIGS, 245 Abbott Road, Buffalo NY 14220. Make checks payable to "BIGS". Note new annual ARIL 1st renewal date. If you can't print it just write the requested info on a sheet of paper and mail it in. To print it from Word Document, save it first to your hard drive and then open it in Microsoft Word or similar word processing software and print it.
NOTE: It is not necessary to be a member of BIGS in order to attend a meeting here in Buffalo, NY. If you are looking for help, please be sure to bring all the family information you have. Newcomers are most welcome!

BIGS was established in 1997 to concentrate all of our members' resources & publications and to maintain a list of these items, thereby establishing a wealth of information that will be available to all of us and obtainable via friendly inter-member networking.

We currently have 125 active members who are enjoying our network. Your are cordially invited to join us and take full advantage of all our resources.
As a highly respected non-profit organization, all membership fees, and donations, are tax deductible.

The Buffalo Irish Genealogical Society (BIGS) will be hosting their annual "Gathering of the Clans" on Saturday, April 18, 2015 at the HDC (Heritage Discovery Center), 100 Lee St (between South Park and Elk streets - 5 minutes from the Buffalo Irish Center) in Buffalo, NY, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. (A thirty minute business meeting will precede the event.) We will be hosting a GENEALOGICAL SEISIUN.

The Buffalo and Erie County Public Library digital local history pilot project.

A sample of the Library's Local History File has been placed on Flickr. The Local History File, located in the Grosvenor Room at the Central Library, is the B&ECPL's most comprehensive resource on Buffalo's history. It consists of index cards with citations to articles and books about Buffalo and Erie County topics. The Richardson Olmsted Complex is featured in the pilot project.

The Special Collections Division maintains and preserves the rare, unique, and locally significant holdings of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library System which can be accessed here.

The Library welcomes your feedback and invites you to enhance the projects images by adding comments and tags.

Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, 1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, NY 14202
Point of contact for the Grosvenor Room is R. Konig at konigr @ buffalolib . org

Buffalo Irish Center, the cultural home for the Irish American Become a member of the Buffalo Irish Center, the cultural home for the Irish American Community, by joining the GAELIC AMERICAN ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (G.A.A.A.) Initial membership fee is $150.00 with an annual renewal fee of only $25.00. Membership may be listed as individual or husband and wife with one voting right. Your membership includes a subscription to the BUFFALO IRISH TIMES, GAAA Newsletters, reduced rental of halls, voting rights and more. Dues must be paid yearly by March 31st to maintain active membership status. For further Information Email:mary@buffaloirishcenter.com

ORDINANCE SURVEY MAPS of Ireland Click here. This is a series of interactive maps beginning with the opening map of the island of Ireland and continuing with a series of more intricate maps that will allow you to see townlands and individual properties! You can select historical black and white maps, historical colored maps, aerial views etc.

GRIFFITH'S VALUATION MAPS -Ireland click here. This site gives details of Griffith's Valuation with links to the original maps showing the property occupied by each individual.

National Archives of Ireland - household returns and ancillary records for the censuses of Ireland of 1901 and 1911click here.